Star Trek Hunter Ep 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle
by RobertBruceScott
Summary: The U.S.S. Hunter's crew is involved in the selection of a new emperor for the Andorian Empire. A vital hostage is held on the home moon of Andoria and must be rescued... And a charismatic new tyrant emerges who will change both the empire and the Federation...
1. Ep 12x1: Ice Hole

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 1: Ice Hole

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12.1  
Ice Hole

Tactical Specialist Belo Rys was on the far right cable. Tactical Specialist Jarrong was in the lead on the left. Ensign Tolon was up one level collecting samples near the anchor points for the lines. Four carbon fiber cables snaked down from the anchors above, running down a sheet of frozen sea water. The cavern was bitterly cold, but there was very little air movement and the ground operations team was prepared with insulated uniforms that were just short of being full EVA suits.

The tactical team was descending in a staggered line. Jarrong, on the left was the first to drop, then Belo Garr, then Belo Cantys, then Belo Rys on the right. This allowed Rys to keep an eye on the rest of the team to spot any trouble with their descent and take action or alert the team. To avoid detection, they were relying on their heat vision instead of lanterns – a gift of their cardassian heritage.

Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth had brought them in the wagon as far down into the cavern as the wagon could safely descend, then flew up out of the cavern, where he was station keeping nearby. Strongly magnetized metal deposits in the ice prevented the use of the transporter. Belo Rys, Belo Garr and Belo Cantys were each carrying a pattern enhancer, but within another hundred meters, these would also become useless - the magnetic deposits too strong for even the enhancers to punch a transport signal through. They would leave these devices behind on the next ledge.

Nearly a thousand meters further down, Investigator Buttans Ngumbo was scouting the ledge system, helping to guide the tactical squad down. He was using a small flashlight, but relying primarily on his superior olfactory sense. So far, they had not encountered any resistance - which Rys did not find comforting. There was no doubt this facility had been used as a prison, but if no one was guarding the main entrance, it could be a sign that the facility had been abandoned.

After descending for well over three hours in near total darkness, the tactical team joined Buttans on the bottom level. This lowest level appeared to cover about 500 square meters, but with no evident doors or passageways.

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"Dead end," Jarrong whispered.

"Something smells hot," Buttans observed. "Smell it?"

Jarrong had the best heat vision of the group - she was able to make out her cousins and Buttans as undulating wraiths of heat, but there was no other source of heat down here. "It isn't down here,"

"I think it's up one level," Investigator Buttans said.

Jarrong saw it - a faint heat source within one of the walls above. "It's a trap! GO UP GO UP GO UP GO UP!"

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Each of the squad members was still connected to the fiber cables they had used for descent. They slammed their hands on controls located on the left breast of their uniforms. Jarrong wrapped one arm under Buttans' crotch and threw him over her shoulder before activating her emergency recoil. Pulleys far above jerked and whined, quickly pulling the tactical squad members up the sides of the shaft as melted seawater crashed through one of the frozen walls.

Buttans, still hoisted over Jarrong's shoulder, his face against her back, helped unhook her from one pulley system and attached her to the next. Her cousins recovered the pattern enhancers they had left on this level, detached themselves from this pulley system and attached and activated the next as insidious hissing and crashing noises became louder below.

Tolon was waiting at the next level. With the speed and precision of dancers, Belo Rys, Belo Garr and Belo Cantys detached their cable systems, deployed the pattern enhancers and ushered Jarrong (still carrying Buttans) and Tolon into the triangle with them before activating the pattern enhancers.

"NOW! Now NOW NOW!" screamed Tolon. He was still screaming when the cavern started to dissolve in an array of patterned lights, to be replaced by the rear staging area of the wagon. He only started to breathe properly once the transporter beam cycle was complete and he could see that his team was safely aboard the wagon.

A viewscreen against the interior wall displayed the same scene that Chief Guth and Midshipman Tammy Brazil were observing up in the flight cabin - the camera on one of the pattern enhancers capturing the other two falling off the dissolving ledge, before falling itself into the freezing, watery abyss.

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"That was way too close," Belo Garr observed.

"Trap," said Tolon, breathing hard.

"Um, Jarrong?" said Buttans, "You can put me down now…"

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12.1


	2. Ep 12x2: Invst Shran Walks Into a Bar

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 2: Investigator Shran Walks Into a Bar...

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12.2  
Investigator Shran Walks Into a Bar…

Investigator Lynhart Shran had taken advantage of his time on Earth to refresh his wardrobe. His silvery gray shirt had French cuffs and Belo Cantys had selected platinum cuff-links for him. A new pair of Red-Wing shoes - a deep maroon with ornate patterning, new dark denim jeans with a heavy crease. Even his large leathery looking overcoat had a new silvery sheen to it and a broad collar had been added. Despite his age, Shran still had a ring of hair around the sides of his head that was mostly brown - his craggy features were entirely human except for his large antennae.

As a hybrid, Lynhart Shran was less welcome in most places in Laikan, the capital of Andoria, than humans or other non-andorians.

And this bar, tucked into a back alley, was one of those places where he would be least welcome. Seedy bars full of seedy characters doing seedy things could be found on nearly any planet or moon with humanoids and Andoria was no exception. This establishment did not have a name - only a number in andorian numerals. The door was firmly shut and a large andorian - much larger than Shran - was posted outside to see that it stayed that way to all except for known patrons. And Shran did not qualify.

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Shran flipped up the collar on his overcoat, creating a shell around the back and sides of his head and strode directly up to the door-warden.

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"You know you're not…" the andorian started as Shran walked up to him. The door-warden stopped talking as Shran drew an exceptionally large firearm from under his coat and in a single, smooth movement, placed the business end directly under the door-warden's chin, forcing his head back against the door.

"Allow me to get the door for you, sir…" the door-warden managed. He started to reach behind his back. Shran casually spun the firearm around, delivering a vicious blow to the side of the andorian's head, sending a spray of bright blue blood across the door. Shran grasped the unconscious andorian's wrist and placed the door-warden's hand on the door's access panel.

The door slid open and Shran dropped the door-warden's wrist, stepped over his semi-conscious body and walked inside, the door sliding shut behind him. A few seconds and a number of loud but muffled explosions later, followed by a crescendo of muffled screams, the door slid open again and seedy looking andorians came pouring out, stumbling over the semi-conscious door-warden. One andorian made it out of the door, then his head exploded.

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Inside, the bar was a mess. While at least a half-dozen heavily armed andorians had taken protected positions and were returning fire, none of them seemed to be able to actually hit Shran as he strode up to the bar, selecting and taking down his targets with relaxed precision. Three andorians made the mistake of turning over a steel table and firing at Shran from behind it. One of these stood up to take a shot, just in time to see Shran casually toss a grenade as he walked by, which landed behind him. The grenade exploded just as it hit the floor behind the table.

As half the room was suddenly awash in shrapnel, phaser and disrupter beams and bullets continued to cut through the room. Shran dropped the repeating musket he had been carrying, hopped up, sat on the bar, lifted his legs, spun around and hopped down behind the bar. One andorian who had been hiding behind the bar pointed a disrupter at the old investigator's face. In a single move Shran turned the hand and disrupter back toward its owner and forced him to discharge it at himself.

Someone shot Shran in the back with a disrupter - the old man's leathery overcoat dissipated the beam. Shran drew his phaser and turned around, phaser in one hand, disrupter in the other. The andorian who had shot him dropped his disrupter and raised his hands beside his face. Both were crouched behind the bar.

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"Hello, Shrib," Shran said to the andorian in front of him. He then lifted his gravelly voice so that it could be heard throughout the establishment: "If you want to live, stop shooting and drop your weapons." There were a few more desultory shots - as if the weapons themselves were confused. Then the clatter of weapons being dropped as the people holding them did the math. "Walk out - now!" Shran shouted from behind the bar.

Shran looked at the andorian he had captured behind the bar. His voice was quiet but intense, rough. "I'm not going to bind your hands, Shrib. You run away from me, I won't just kill you. I'll kill everyone you care about first and make you watch. You're going to give me everything I want from you, the first time I ask, and if I'm in a decent mood and if you're very lucky, you might get out of this alive."

Shrib was clearly terrified, his face almost blank with disbelief. "You can't do this, Star Fleet…"

"The only uniform I've ever worn is the Andorian Imperial Guard," Shran said. "For 30 years. They reactivated me this morning. Now we're leaving through the front door. Pull yourself together."

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When they stood up, the bar was empty except for nine dead andorians.

"You killed nine of our people…" Shrib said.

"Actually, I only killed seven of them. Somebody took advantage of the mayhem to settle a few scores." Shran looked around. "Bihr th'Rhaotrehr, Ashyss th'Vhaanet…"

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Shrib's antennae flexed wide and forward, almost laying down on his face. "The Ebar syndicate… They'll be coming after you now."

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Shran made an amused noise. "I have 198 - make that 205 confirmed kills as an eliminator for the AIG. Most of them andorian. The Ebar syndicate is just going to have to get in line with everybody else. Now out!"

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12.2


	3. Prisoner in the Ice Castle

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle

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Episode 12 – Prisoner in the Ice Castle

_ "Andorian imperial succession has always been an extremely emotional and intensely violent affair. Since the Andorian Empire became one of the three founding governments of the United Federation of Planets and with federation mediators, under the Federation Charter, playing a central role in facilitating succession, the death toll has been significantly reduced. In the opinion of andorian historians, an imperial succession with an official death count of less than a thousand is considered a bloodless transition." _

_ "It is crucial that federation mediators do not try to play god in these transitions. It is never our role to choose the new emperor or to allow the royal families choose the new emperor. Our role is to ensure an orderly process and help all parties to accept the inevitability of the outcome on the ground – to sanctify this outcome and prevent endless reprisals. It is by far the most difficult and delicate negotiation I have ever conducted and I conducted the vast majority of it in complete silence, without ever saying a word." _

_Ambassador Sarek, __Notes on the Fifth Federation-Mediated Succession of the Andorian Empire_.

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Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter: (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

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Medical Director - Commander Tali Shae  
. Asst. Medical Director - Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
. Epidemiologist - Lt. Napoleon Boles  
.. Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
... Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
... Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
... Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
. Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
... Navigator Johanna Imex  
... Navigator Eli Strahl  
.. Ensign Ethan Phillips  
... Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
... Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
... Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
... Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
. Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. T'Lon  
... Investigator Lynhart Shran  
... Investigator Buttans Ngumbo  
.. Ensign Tolon Reeves  
... Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
... Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
... Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
... Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
. Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
... Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
... Transporter Engineer K'rokZ  
.. Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
... Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
... Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
... Flight Engineer Tomos  
... Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	4. Ep 12x3: Standing Requirements

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 3: Standing Requirements

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12.3  
Standing Requirements

In a government building in Laikan, Justice Minerva Irons stood in a traditional andorian courtroom. Because Andoria was cold all the time, she had eschewed her usual civilian clothing in favor of the black Star Fleet JAG uniform - thin red piping around the neck and on the cuffs the only sign of the Star Fleet functional uniform color code. Over this she wore her judicial robe. Under most circumstances, this combination was too warm for comfort, but even with these layers, Irons was still cold. Like all andorian courtrooms, this room had no chairs or tables.

Commander David Pepper and Dr. Tali Shae, neither of whom had the benefit of a robe over their SF JAG uniforms, seemed quite comfortable. Both had been born on this moon. Tali Shae was fully andorian and Pep, although he had never grown antennae, had an andorian grandfather. This had proved useful to Irons in the past when trying cases under andorian civil law.

Three andorian judges were in the room as well, one representing each party to the mediation. Their role was not to judge the case, but to judge the judge - in this case, Justice Irons. Representatives of each party to the mediation were also present - and impatient for the initiation of mediation. This was a three-way mediation and each party was allowed five representatives. With the zh'Ithirith, th'Ravonet and Shav representatives standing close to one another, there was a small forest of antennae twitching in agitation like tall grasses in a strong wind.

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"When will this mediation begin?" asked one of the more irritated representatives from House th'Ravonet. "We have been standing here for more than three hours."

Justice Irons remained silent, but opened her eyes and looked at her interlocutor. Mediation would, by andorian legal customs, begin no less than two hours after she broke her silence. The cold was making her feel her age, but within the andorian justice system, Irons was famous for holding her silence for days – weeks – in one famous case more than a month to delay the beginning of forced mediation and allow events to be sorted out on the ground.

Andorians were not particularly good at staring contests and after a few moments of looking into Justice Irons' light brown eyes, serene Chinese features, slight hints of vulcan and trill ancestry, the andorian who had complained about waiting had to look away. Irons had mastered the ability to be intimidating without trying to appear intimidating.

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Andorian law provided an out for nearly every legal custom, including delaying the start of mediation. Typically this involved challenging the court's champion, who was required to be of andorian blood, to single combat. Because of his andorian grandfather, Commander Pepper qualified and he had been challenged on a number of occasions. In hand to hand combat, andorians relied on their superior speed and balance. Andorians challenging Pep had quickly come to realize that the giant's size did not in any way affect his speed or balance and he had earned a reputation for winning such contests usually within less than a minute.

Irons was counting on Pep's reputation to help her hold this trial off until she received the signal she was awaiting.

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What andorians were exceptional at was standing contests. Within a few minutes, groups of andorians who were standing and waiting would synchronize, until their antennae were moving in unison, setting the balance and movements for the group. Non-andorians were at a serious disadvantage. While Minerva Irons appeared outwardly calm, she was running through her Tai Chi training program in her mind, picturing each move and making minute adjustments to her stance to reduce the pain. Both the standing and the cold were getting to her much more than they had in the past and an acute observer, like Dr. Tali Shae, could notice subtle signs of stress and discomfort on her face. It was going to be a long, painful week – quite possibly much longer…

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12.3


	5. Ep 12x4: Toeing the Line

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 4: Toeing the Line  
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12.4  
Toeing the Line  
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Lt. Tauk and 2nd Lt. T'Lon were aboard the Hunter in the Ground Operations Center, downloading information from publicly available resources and additional Imperial resources only available due to Justice Irons' status as an appellate justice not only within the Federation Tribunal, but also within the Imperial Court – a status very rarely afforded to non-andorians.

"Investigator Shran has placed himself on leave status and deactivated his communicator," T'Lon said. "I cannot locate him – he was in Laikan."

"He is on leave and not currently under your supervision," Tauk replied without looking up.

"He seemed rather disturbed at the failure of his initial source. He didn't say anything, but I could hear it in his voice – he seemed quite upset."

Tauk continued working without responding.

T'Lon looked at her commanding officer, weighing her words, then said, "You know him better than I do. I am concerned he might do something rash."

"Don't be," Tauk replied, still absorbed in the information on his workstation.

T'Lon raised an eyebrow and watched Tauk. It was evident the ferengi had no intention of furthering this discussion. It was also evident to her that he was parsing his words carefully.

.

Investigator Shran's workstation beeped, indicating successful communication – which very few people knew how to access independently. Lt. Tauk looked up briefly at his vulcan 2nd lieutenant, then back at his workstation. T'Lon observed her commanding officer for a few moments, then walked over to Shran's workstation and accessed it. A vast amount of data had been uploaded – schematics, maps, lists of cyphers with code…

"It appears Investigator Shran has uploaded a new potential location, sir," T'Lon said.

"It also appears that the Investigator was reactivated by the Andorian Imperial Guard," Tauk replied. He sent a document to T'Lon's workstation. "They recommissioned him and assigned him an unspecified number of targets related to Imperial security."

"Is that allowable under his agreement with Star Fleet?" T'Lon asked.

"Only when he is on leave," Tauk replied.

"So why is he sending us information about potential locations for the abductee?"

"Presumably, he is doing so under orders from the Imperial Guard. We need to research this information thoroughly. I'm certain Shran would not have sent it if he did not think there was a good chance this is where the hostage is being held, but we don't know where his information is coming from and whether it is a current source." Tauk returned his attention to his workstation.

For a few moments the two lieutenants, alone in the Hunter's ground ops center, worked silently, pulling down telemetry on the location that Shran had uploaded and pouring over the additional information he had sent.

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The silence was interrupted by the communication system, carrying Navigator Eli Strahl's voice from the bridge, only a few yards away on the same deck. "Lieutenant Tauk, I am forwarding a transmission from Sub Commander Oshreb Sav of the Andorian Imperial Guard."

Tauk activated a viewer behind his desk. "This is the Hunter's Ground Operations Director Tauk, Go ahead, Sub Commander."

An andorian wearing the blue and white uniform of the capital division of the Imperial Guard appeared on the viewer. "Director, I am forwarding a file regarding a facility you are investigating on the ground in the area of Bespatel, southern region. The Imperial Guard offers this information in assistance of your ongoing operations on behalf of the Andorian people. Please note that this file is not cleared for evidentiary use and for reasons involving andorian security, cannot be used in either an andorian or federation court."

Tauk nodded. "Understood, Sub Commander. We greatly appreciate the assistance. Please extend our gratitude to the appropriate parties."

"I will do so and enjoin you to not speak of this transaction to any andorian or official of an andorian institution."

"Understood, agreed and appreciated," Tauk said.

Sub Commander Oshreb Sav gave a curt salute with his antennae and abruptly ended the transmission.

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T'Lon looked up. "Four months of telemetry on the location Shran sent us."

"We need to review every moment of this information to make sure we have a good location before retargeting the wagon," Tauk said.

"I am uncomfortable that you so easily promised not to inform any andorian or imperial official," T'Lon said. "That would include the captain as well as the commander and Dr. Tali Shae."

Tauk looked at her with some surprise. "I don't report to any of those people. I report to the Chief of Operations – Lieutenant Commander Mlady. I cannot make promises about what she will report to her commanding officer, but she is neither andorian, nor an official of any andorian institution."

"You make a lot of fine distinctions," T'Lon objected.

"Fine distinctions are what our work is all about. You know I that am dying, T'Lon. I want you to be prepared to take this seat when I can no longer do the job. You need to let me know whether you can live with toeing those fine lines and making the tough calls. T'Lok did – she taught me this trade." Tauk glanced at Shran's vacant workstation. "Well, she and Shran. This operation is as high stakes as we have ever been assigned. You know how vital it is that we succeed here. If that means making some rough calls and drawing really fine lines, that is part of what it means to wear the black uniform."

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12.4


	6. Ep 12x5: Canada on Ice

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 5: Canada on Ice  
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12.5  
Canada on Ice  
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Johnny Canada was a friendly looking man with light brown hair, a light brown beard and an easy smile. The various federation species had become so adept at reading human expressions that his easy charm worked not only with humans but was read by andorians, vulcans, bolians and others to make him appear entirely innocuous. Canada was not from Canada and Canada was not his actual name - just his preferred alias.

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At the moment, Canada was the only person in this back alley of Reitel, a northern suburb of Laikan, who appeared entirely at ease. Along with three other humans, he was meeting with a small group of nervous looking andorians - separatists. What the separatists desperately needed was information and the only safe way to provide that would be verbally, in person. They were here to provide the House of Shav information on Star Fleet resources, personnel, intentions. Canada was the go-between - the person bringing the buyers and sellers together. As ordered. From the mouth. He had no idea why, but why was not his responsibility.

Abruptly, his three human companions, one of whom was a Star Fleet officer, began waving their hands crazily in the air and howling - high pitched shrieking growing louder - their hair standing on end. Canada reflexively crouched. The andorians reflexively shot and killed all three shrieking humans, then turned their guns on Canada - too late. Canada used a pair of very high quality andorian phase pistols - made nearly 200 years ago when andorians really cared about making high quality weapons.

Five quick pinpoint shots and Johnny Canada had just killed the andorian contacts he had worked for months to cultivate. He turned to look at his human companions. Although clearly dead, they were still convulsing and their hair was smoking.

Canada idly scratched an itch on his neck and was surprised his neck was wet. His phasers dropped numbly from his hands, making a very high quality noise as they smacked on the concrete. He reached back up and removed a tiny splinter from his neck and looked at it with growing confusion as the back alley swirled annoyingly around him, the smell of the color nine was almost deafening… Johnny Canada crumpled to the concrete, unconscious.

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Canada woke up in what appeared to be a warehouse. He was seated in a chair that was designed for a human, his hands tied behind his back. He tried his bonds, just the gentlest tug, and felt them tighten slightly. Tied by an expert - Canada was going to have to talk his way out of this. He flexed his forearms slightly, feeling the number of loops and the design of the knot - Section 31. So his captor was Section 31 and knew that he was Section 31. That was no guarantee that he would get out of this alive, but it was a hopeful sign. His captor was smart and, depending on his assignment, might be reasoned with.

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"Nice guns," came a voice from behind Canada. Canada suppressed a startle reaction. He should have heard the man behind him walking or breathing or shifting his weight. His breathing could easily be heard now - he had a bit of a wheeze. Canada listened carefully - it was a real wheeze - which meant his captor had been suppressing it.

"Any chance I might get them back?" Canada asked after a period of silence.

"Eventually. If you survive this. You know what I am. I know what you are. But I know something you don't. You have been uncomfortable with the orders you have received recently. So uncomfortable that you recently received an order from the mouth. More than one. And you've been uncomfortable with those as well."

Canada found himself again having to suppress his startle reaction. This agent was really good. There was no point in denial. Nor in confirmation. He let his silence speak for him.

"That's what I thought. The mouth is compromised. You already know it. What you do not understand is how."

Canada again let silence speak for him.

"I will leave you with this: Vulcans. It is not a conspiracy. It is a disease. I will return in two hours. Hold your silence and I will reward you. There are five others here, but they are gagged and cannot help you in any way."

The wheeze was suddenly absent.

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12.5


	7. Ep 12x6: Sister Ship

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 6: Sister Ship  
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12.6  
Sister Ship  
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Lt. Commander Mlady, Lt. Kenny Dolphin and 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor were rotating shifts in command. Ensign Ethan Phillips and 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek had more or less camped out in the tactical unit, anticipating deployment at any moment. The untimely death of Empress Zashah zh'Ithirith had brought about a perennial crisis within the Federation. Under the Federation Charter, andorian imperial succession was to be mediated by a non-andorian representative of the Federation Tribunal who was required to be expert in andorian law and admitted to the Imperial Court.

While the Andorian Imperial Guard was officially non-partisan, many of the flag officers came from one or another of the three succession-qualified royal families and open civil war had occasionally broken out among guard units during previous succession disputes. Additionally, each of the three succession-qualified houses maintained their own small fleets of interceptors and at least one larger war ship.

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At the moment, two Intrepid class starships – the U.S.S. Vox and the U.S.S. Intrepid, were currently stationed in orbit of Rings, the gas giant about which Andoria orbited and an Escort class starship, the U.S.S. Valiant, was in orbit of the home-moon of the Andorian Empire.

The U.S.S. Hunter, small, squat and dark, was not as impressive as these larger and more heavily armed starships, but oddly had a disproportionate impact because of Lt. Dolphin's reputation following the Battle for Pillo, in which he had more or less single-handedly destroyed three nausicaan heavy cruisers in less than three minutes.

Several parties were counting on that reputation to help prevent the dozens of andorian heavy interceptors being fielded by the various royal families from firing on each other or on Andorian Imperial Guard vessels – or on Star Fleet as had happened during the last succession mediation fifty years previously.

Lt. Commander Mlady was in command when the Hunter's sister ship, the U.S.S. Prowler, fresh out of space dock, arrived. While the operation was under the actual command of Captain Serge Chekov of the U.S.S. Intrepid, communications were being coordinated through the U.S.S. Hunter to serve as a constant reminder to the andorians of Lt. Dolphin's presence. Following this unusual protocol, the captain of the U.S.S. Prowler reported in.

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"U.S.S. Hunter, this is the U.S.S. Prowler, Sagittarius Hunter commanding."

"Prowler, this is the U.S.S. Hunter, Mlady commanding. Did I hear your name correctly?"

"Affirmative, Hunter, this is Captain Hunter, commanding the Prowler. The irony is not lost on me."

"I was referring to your given name, Captain," Mlady responded.

"Oh… Um… Well, my sisters' names are Aquarius and Gemini and my brothers are Taurus, Cancer, Libra and Leo," Captain Hunter replied with a faint smile. "Mom's a bit of an astrologer. I brought along some friends. They're currently grouping on the far side of Rings."

"I'm glad they came along. We have been monitoring increasing movement and grouping among interceptors we suspect are being piloted by Shav supporters. We may need to show some teeth."

"We will be ready, Lieutenant Commander. I checked in with Captain Chekov a few minutes ago and Commander Red's squadron are checking in with him now."

"They gave Red a squadron? Wasn't she on suspension four or five times at the academy – and a few times since?" Mlady asked.

Captain Hunter smiled. "Red's a firecracker and would just as soon punch you in the mouth as talk to you. But she has a killer's instinct for combat and an ability to get people to follow her into battle. If things get ugly up here, we'll be glad she's here."

Navigator Johanna Imex, currently standing watch at the tactical and communication station, interrupted, "Sir?"

"Thank you Captain Hunter. It appears duty calls. Someday I would like to introduce you to the U.S.S. Hunter,"

"I heard your ship is artificially intelligent. I will look forward to meeting him, Lieutenant Commander. Prowler out."

Mlady swiveled to look at Imex.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a Commander Red requesting permission to board. She wants to meet with you, Director Dolphin and Doctor Jazz."

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12.6


	8. Ep 12x7: Shran's Aviary

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 7: Shran's Aviary  
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12.7  
Shran's Aviary  
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Five andorians, two humans and a bolian sat in the middle of an apparently abandoned warehouse somewhere north of Laikan. All of them were tied to their chairs. All but the bolian and one of the humans, Johnny Canada, were gagged. The andorians' antennae were bound, preventing movement, which was causing them to become disoriented and nauseous. None of them were blindfolded.

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Investigator Lynhart Shran dragged a chair and an Andorian Imperial Guard military issue sniper's phaser rifle into the center of the group. He laid the rifle in the chair, then walked around the perimeter of the group, removing gags and allowing them to fall around the necks of those who had been gagged when he had entered the room.

.

"Now I have a collection of song birds, but you are only allowed to sing when I tell you. Abuse this privilege and the gag goes back into your mouth." Shran stepped into the middle of the circle, picked up the rifle, straddled the chair. "I am Lynhart Shran of the Andorian Imperial Guard, Eliminator First Class. And I have orders naming each of you. Which means all of you are, as of this moment, dead. But I will not kill you if I do not need to. You can walk out of this building alive under one condition, my little songbirds: Sing."

Shran pulled up the image of a pair of young andorian boys on a viewer, walked over to Shrib. Showed it to him. "House th'Ravonet."

Shrib's antennae bristled when he was shown the image on the viewer. Anger, fear and desperation competed for dominance on his face. But he did not hesitate to respond. "Everyone thinks House Shav kidnapped Sin th'Ravonet - the preferred heir and presumptive emperor. I don't think they did. House Shav has military muscle, but they're navigating with a broken antenna. They might be able to take th'Ravonet in a straight up military raid, but they don't have the covert resources to kidnap the heir right out of Castle th'Ravon."

.

Investigator Shran looked about the room, gauging the reactions of his other prisoners, then nodded, appeared satisfied. He unbound Shrib's antennae. Shrib was visibly relieved. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and lowered his head, started to seriously shake.

Shran pulled up an official looking document in andorian script on his viewer. He walked over to the older bolian woman - showed it to her. She was already shaking.

"I'm already terrified, sir. You didn't need to show me that."

"House zh'Ithirith," Shran said…

.  
12.7


	9. Ep 12x8: Red Hot

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 8: Red Hot  
.

12.8  
Red Hot  
.

Lt. Cmdr. Mlady, Dr. Jazz and Lt. Kenny Dolphin were gathered in the medical office as Commander Red pulled her interceptor into one of the Hunter's vacant interceptor bays.

.

"Where is she from?" asked Dolphin.

"Bushehr, a seaport in southern Iran," Mlady responded.

"Red is a strange name for a Persian."

"She changed her name to that when she was seven - in protest."

"Seven years old? What was she protesting?" Dolphin asked.

"I don't think anyone knows," Mlady answered. "I only know of her by reputation, but I have a fair idea why she wants to meet with you in the presence of an executive officer and the acting chief medical officer…"

"I want to have sex with the flyboy here," Commander Red said as she strode into the medical office.

.

Dolphin whirled to face her, "What?"

.

Red was about 30 years old - small, dark, taut, evidently Persian, and aggressively beautiful. "I've been analyzing the movement of Imperial Guard interceptors, House Shav interceptors, interceptors from the other two houses. House Shav is rotating their interceptors through a series of drills and maintenance. Our intelligence indicates the pilots that brought those birds up here were engineers. They're getting swapped out for combat pilots as they go through their maintenance cycles. I estimate they are about 20 hours away from making a move against one of the other two royal houses and the Guard won't stop them. Which means in about 20 hours, my squadron will be on the front line to keep that from happening. I want your notch on my bandolier when I go up against them."

Dolphin rolled his head back, a bewildered expression on his face, spread his hands, then dropped them to his sides. "Sure. Why not?" he said, shaking his head, eyes wide with disbelief.

Dr. Jazz stared at him as though the Hunter's director of flight operations had suddenly been transformed into a large potted plant. Mlady barked - it took Dolphin a moment to realize she was laughing. He had never heard her laugh before.

"You sound so thrilled," Red said.

"You're the one who wants my notch on your bandolier," Dolphin said, still bewildered. He took a deep breath, shook his head.

"Dolphin," Mlady said, "you may use my quarters. Just clean up when you're done." She walked up to Dolphin, hooked her finger into his collar. He had to lean down for her to whisper in his ear: "Malloriah Uhr left a gift for me. It's in the top drawer in the wardrobe. Let it inspire you…"

"Um… thank you?" Dolphin straightened up and turned toward their guest, still more than a little bewildered. "Commander, if you will follow me, please…" Dolphin stepped toward the door.

Red turned behind Dolphin's back, looking at Jazz and Mlady. She made a motion with her hands as though she were wringing a wet rag and mouthed the words "He won't last five minutes…"

.

Mlady was still chuckling after the two pilots walked out of the medical office.

"He's been here a year," said Dr. Jazz. "And I still really don't know that man. I would never have guessed he would react like that…"

Mlady had a wicked glint in her eye. "Want to watch?"

"What?"

"With Dr. Tali Shae down on the moon, you're the acting chief medical officer. Regulation 4:410 Section 6-37(a)5.13 gives you the option if, in your opinion, the patient in your charge might be at risk to his health, to require medical supervision…"

Dr. Jazz boggled at the diminutive 2nd officer. "Unbelievable!"

"Oh come on…" Mlady teased. "I want to know what he's going to do with that buggy-whip Mallory left for me…"

.  
12.8


	10. Ep 12x9: Standing Orders

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 9: Standing Order  
.

12.9  
Standing Order  
.

After eleven days - each 11.5 hours - the andorians in the courtroom were starting to look exhausted. The andorian day was 23 hours long, leaving only 11.5 hours for rest and sleep. Dr. Tali Shae was older than most of the other andorians in the courtroom. The strain was beginning to show on Justice Minerva Irons - the fine lines of aging on her face becoming more ingrained - her internal movement through her Tai Chi regimen becoming more visible as she shifted her weight. Never before had she accepted steroid treatments to improve her stamina and reduce the pain in her joints, but there was no way she could have endured the strain without them now.

Of the people in the room, only Commander David Pepper appeared to be completely at ease, unphased by days on end of standing on a hard marble floor in a freezing courtroom. If he could have given some of his superhuman strength, stamina and poise to his captain, he would have done so in a heartbeat.

To an outside observer, to the andorians in this room, Minerva Irons might appear simply stoic and dispassionate. Pep knew her well enough to see the unimaginable pain she was suppressing. They had done this only a few years before and Irons had gotten through eighteen days of silence without showing any visible stress.

Pep could only hope she would soon see the sign she was waiting for, but given the reports he was hearing, or more importantly the reports he wasn't hearing, that didn't seem likely.

.

Although she was in no small amount of discomfort herself, Dr. Tali Shae was more concerned about Justice Irons. She did not appear about to fall over at this minute, but her distress was clear enough to her doctor. At her age she should not be putting her system under this kind of stress.

Irons was putting on a good show - an amazing show. But unlike her first officer, her doctor knew what her vital signs were. The justice had taken very good care of herself, but age was finally winning - softening her bones, weakening her joints, reducing blood flow to her muscles… Dr. Tali Shae grimaced as she could see Irons fighting off muscle spasms, stretching gently to relieve cramps. But there was no question as to whether it was worth it. Irons had given her entire life to the Federation and Tali was committed to doing the same.

For Dr. Tali Shae there was no conflict. She had been raised to give her life for the empire and had found a larger calling in the federation. Her role was to provide Irons the treatments and drugs she needed to make it through this negotiation, even as those same drugs did lasting damage. That was the price for ensuring the correct imperial succession that would keep the Andorian Empire firmly aligned within the Federation and Irons and Shae were both well aware of this price and willing to pay it.

.  
12.9


	11. Ep 12x10: Breaking the Ice

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 10: Breaking the Ice  
.

12.10  
Breaking the Ice  
.

The wagon had landed on the ice several thousand kilometers away from its target - a castle in the southern polar region of Andoria. A castle with outer walls of ice that were in many places fifteen meters thick.

Andorian castles in the polar regions were often constructed of ice or more commonly, had an outer shell of ice. There were several reasons for this - aside from being an abundantly available and extremely malleable building material, ice provided superb camouflage - visual and thermal - in a wilderness of gigantic, permanent glaciers and ice covered mountains.

Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth had landed the wagon on a slight gradient and had maintained forward velocity, allowing the wagon to slide downhill, at a speed of about 100 kph - sliding across the gently sloping ice until, without being powered, it came to rest less than a thousand kilometers from its target.

.

"So this time it is not a trap?" Tactical Specialist Belo Rys was concerned for her younger half-siblings and her cousin. She had also become rather attached to her new commanding officer - Ensign Tolon Reeves was charming, funny and clearly cared deeply about his squad.

"Never assume that we are not walking into a trap," Tolon replied. "This is a highly guarded facility. There are layers of security and no doubt dozens of traps. That said, these people are not expecting us. Everyone is expecting us to try to rescue Dauphin Sin rh'Ravonette. I don't think anyone expects us to try to rescue Dauphin Sin Shav."

"It's not Daphin Sin Shav who needs rescuing," said Investigator Buttans Ngumbo. "His children are the hostages."

Tolon smiled. "I just really want to know how Investigator Shran obtained all this detailed information so quickly."

"No, you really don't." Buttans had a serious expression.

Tolon looked at Buttans quizzically.

"Trust me. You'll sleep better."

"Okay sir," said Midshipman Tammy Brazil. "Everyone is in position."

.

Ensign Tolon activated the viewer in the rear staging area of the wagon. Investigator Buttans and Tolon's tactical squad watched as he checked the target area thoroughly for any signs of movement or readiness for the impending attack. Considering the maneuvers currently going on just above this moon's atmosphere, the resources and attentions of the various royal families were currently engaged.

Tolon reflected only for a moment that this mission was a lot of responsibility for a Star Fleet ensign and wondered briefly why Tauk had not assigned this mission to Lt. T'Lon. She had experience running missions like this - but she had been an ensign when those had been assigned to her.

Ensign Tolon took a deep breath. "It looks clean. Let's go!"

.

Flight Specialists Joey Chin and Winnifreid Salazaar, on receiving the "go" from Ensign Tolon, slowly and carefully brought their interceptors out of the planetary debris gathered in the eastern LaGrange point of the planet Rings. The Andorian Imperial Guard maintained significant intelligence assets in the LaGrange points throughout their home moon system. Investigator Shran had provided information about whom to bribe to look the other way so that the two Star Fleet long range interceptors could take up those camouflaged positions.

.

With their interceptors now free of the debris field, Chin and Salazaar engaged their ships' warp jump capability using the coordinates that Chief Guth was providing from the wagon.

Of course the andorians had taken precautions to make sure interceptors couldn't simply do what Chin and Salazaar were about to do. A low level shield was in place - not enough to prevent most vessels from moving through, but it would cause anything moving fast and certainly at warp to crash. Deflector shields work on frequencies and the lower the intensity, the fewer the frequencies - which made it easier for Chief Guth to analyze the frequencies and, at the precise moment needed, counter them with a focused projection of the wagon's shields - effectively nullifying them.

The Hunter's two interceptors appeared just over the castle and, using targeting information provided by Guth, destroyed in rapid succession, the castle's phase cannon, shield emitter and power systems.

An attack of this nature was sure to draw reprisals, and neither the wagon nor the interceptors could remain in the area. The andorian royal house that owned this castle also owned interceptors, which were almost certainly already on their way. Guth brought the wagon into the air and at an altitude of 200 meters, along with the interceptors, jumped to warp and left the area.

.

A few hundred meters from the castle, six small patches of snowy ice moved slowly across the snowy ice.

.  
12.10


	12. Ep 12x11: Battle over Rings

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 11: Battle over Rings  
.

12.11  
Battle over Rings  
.

Lt. Kenny Dolphin poked his head into the nearly empty ground operations center. "Tauk, we have a fight brewing out there. Can you spare T'Lon?"

Rather than speaking (the director of ground operations was increasingly relying on non-verbal communication) Lt. Tauk caught 2nd Lt. T'Lon's eye, pointed his thumb at Dolphin and returned his attention to his workstation.

.

As T'Lon joined Dolphin in the corridor between ground ops and the bridge, Dolphin was using the communication system. "Ethan Phillips."

"Sir?" came the ensign's voice over the comm.

"How long have you and Doctor Moon been on the tactical unit?"

"Um… fourteen hours?"

"Get out of there and get at least four hours sack time, Ethan," Dolphin said. "That's an order. Doctor Moon, please don't make me give you the same order…"

The hatch leading to the tactical unit could be accessed from both inside the bridge or the hallway directly behind the bridge. Phillips and Moon exited through the hallway.

"Good night Ethan, Salek," Dolphin said.

Both replied rather quietly and shyly - "Good night, sir."

.

Dolphin took the pilot seat on the tactical unit. T'Lon was in the tactical/navigator station a few inches to Dolphin's right. The tactical unit's command chair behind them was vacant.

"So I take it you now have sex with any woman who asks?" T'Lon was setting up the tactical screens to her preferences.

"You didn't even ask," Dolphin replied. He took a breath. "When I was at Harvard, I was the most famous man in the galaxy. Unbelievably beautiful women more or less threw themselves at me. I was trying to put my marriage back together and had two baby daughters I didn't want to lose. Linda and I had gotten married when I was 18…"

"So now you're making up for lost time?"

"Well, Commander Red is stunning. And she has this thing about bagging the most notorious pilot she can find just before battle so she can carry his or her mojo into battle with her. She says it gets her in the mood for a fight." Dolphin looked over at T'Lon. "Looks like you're in the mood for a fight too."

T'Lon returned his gaze. "I don't have such emotions."

For a long moment they just looked at each other.

Piercing blue eyes.

Smoky brown eyes.

Then:

.

"Bullshit!"

.

T'Lon smirked and snorted in spite of herself, then smiled.

"Now you're ready for a fight," Dolphin said. He looked down to his left and raised his right hand.

T'Lon briefly clasped his hand.

At that moment, Lt. Commander Mlady's voice came over the comm system: "Launch tactical!"

.

Commander Red's instincts and training for squadron-based combat were accurate and thorough and at first her battle plan worked flawlessly… The U.S.S. Vox, the U.S.S. Intrepid and the U.S.S. Valiant all stayed out of the fight. These were larger, more heavily armed space vessels and were sidelined to prevent any of the 18 Andorian Imperial Guard vessels currently stationed in the system from getting involved in the fight.

The U.S.S. Hunter, the U.S.S. Prowler and their respective tactical units formed a large box to contain nearly 40 House Shav interceptors and prevent them from flanking Commander Red's smaller, less heavily armed Star Fleet long range interceptors - and Commander Red's squadron only numbered 28. The two interceptors from the U.S.S. Prowler brought that number up to 30.

Commander Red's strategy was to trap the larger, heavier House Shav force within the moon's gravity well. As long as they were trapped, outflanked and outgunned, the House Shav pilots seemed unwilling to open fire. This battle was all about positioning and keeping the andorian interceptors corralled.

On one of the corners of this box, Kenny Dolphin thought things were going too smoothly.

.

"It's a trap… It's a trap… Don't fall for it…" Dolphin kept saying quietly. Then he saw it.

One of the Andorian Imperial Guard heavy cruisers had gradually been drifting closer. Its forward phaser opened up into the scrum, obliterating one Star Fleet interceptor and grazing the aft of another, causing its power to fail - it was Commander Red's interceptor.

"Tractor beam?" Dolphin knew the tactical unit was nowhere near close enough to rescue Red's interceptor. Her tiny spacecraft spun quickly out of control and crashed into Andoria's atmosphere, exploding into thousands of pieces in the moon's sky.

.

A whining whirring noise grew in intensity and then faded in the tactical unit's cramped bridge as T'Lon beamed Commander Red into the vacant command chair directly behind her and Lt. Dolphin. T'Lon turned to look at Red.

"She does look more than a little like me," T'Lon said. "Smaller, a little older and darker…"

Without turning to look, Dolphin touched the top of his right ear, brushed it with his finger. "And there's that.. vulcan ear thing…"

Commander Red was still charged on adrenaline from her close call with death. "Oh… You must be the vulcan that…"

"2nd Lieutenant T'Lon, this is Commander Red," Dolphin interrupted. "Welcome to the U.S.S. Hunter's tactical unit, Commander. What would you like to do now?"

"This is your boat, Lieutenant," Red responded. "I'm just along for the ride."

Dolphin turned his attention to the pilot console. "T'Lon, open a channel to - what is that ship?"

"Ravonnelle. Channel open."

"Imperial Guard Vessel Ravonnelle, this is Lieutenant Kenneth Dolphin. I am headed straight for your warp core. Get your cruiser out of my sky or I'm going to burn it out of my sky. End transmission." Dolphin set his course directly for the Andorian Guard vessel's mid-section.

T'Lon turned to look at Dolphin as if he were insane. "What are you doing?"

"Making a point."

T'Lon turned to look at the cruiser swiftly growing larger in the tactical unit's viewscreen. "It's bigger than we are," she said quietly.

"I noticed," Dolphin responded equally quietly. He gritted his teeth as the cruiser filled the viewscreen, his voice starting to quake nervously…. "Come on…."

Suddenly the cruiser was gone and the Hunter's tactical unit flew through space where only a second ago the cruiser's warp core had been - the Andorian war ship had gone to warp and fled the system.

A wedge of six Star Fleet interceptors had formed up behind the tactical unit and followed it through the wake of the Andorian ship.

.

Commander Red slapped the top of Dolphin's head - hard. "Hot Damn! You're crazier than I am!"

.

"Ow!" Dolphin responded.

.

T'Lon switched the viewscreen to an aft view. More of Red's squadron were forming up in a wedge behind the tactical unit as Dolphin brought it around toward the fleeing House Shav interceptors. "I don't think they know you're alive, sir," T'Lon said.

"Don't tell them," Commander Red said. "They're pissed. They want payback. Make use of that."

"Open a channel," said Dolphin. Then: "Commander Red's squadron, this is Lieutenant Dolphin in the U.S.S. Hunter's tactical unit. Form up behind me. House Shav has gotten out of the box. We're going to drive them out of the frying pan and into the fire - they're escaping Andoria's gravity well. We're going to trap them in the gravity well of the planet Rings. Prepare to break and corral them on my mark but do not get between them and Rings."

The wedge behind the Hunter's tactical unit widened as they chased the House Shav interceptors away from their homemoon of Andoria toward the gas giant their moon orbited.

"Squadron Break! Hunter, Prowler - a little help keeping these birds in their cage? U.S.S. Vox, please approach to take on prisoners," Dolphin said.

Dolphin broke upward to form one corner of the square grid with the U.S.S. Hunter, the U.S.S. Prowler and the Prowler's tactical unit forming the other corners. The Star Fleet interceptors formed a broad grid in between, trapping the House Shav interceptors. With the planet to their back, the House Shav interceptors could not accelerate quickly enough to avoid getting burned by concentrated phaser fire.

Given the intensity of the gas giant's gravity well, time was moving slightly slower for the House Shav interceptors than for the Star Fleet vessels tracking them from a higher orbit. This gave Star Fleet a crucial advantage at keeping their adversary boxed in – they would be able to detect the andorian warp drive systems coming on-line in time to prevent the andorians from going to warp. Once again trapped, the andorian pilots remained unwilling to open fire. Star Fleet had won this battle without firing a shot.

"Put me through to all ships," Dolphin said.

T'Lon hit the switch, then turned to look at him.

.

"House Shav squadron, this is Lieutenant Kenneth Dolphin. Stabilize your orbits, power down your interceptors and prepare to be beamed aboard the U.S.S. Vox. If any of you try to destroy your vessel, I will have your squadron leader's antennae for trophies. Your interceptors just became my interceptors. Dolphin out."

.

Dolphin turned to look at Commander Red. "Do you know how to fly an andorian interceptor?"

"Do I know how to fly an andor… What do you think I am? 12?"

Dolphin laughed. "How about the one with the purple shield painted on the nose? I think that's the squadron commander's bird."

"Kenny," said T'Lon, "That isn't a shield…"

"Ohhh," said Red, "Squadron commander's female… I'll take it…"

"If it's not a shield, what is it?" Dolphin asked.

T'Lon and Red both looked at him deadpan.

"Look more closely, Kenny," T'Lon said. She enlarged the view as the Vox completed beaming the andorian pilots out of their interceptors.

Dolphin looked at the image painted on the nose of the craft for several seconds, then suddenly turned bright red.

Commander Red smiled at T'Lon and said, "He's cute when he gets like that, isn't he?"

T'Lon responded by tilting her head and raising her eyebrows.

"Care to beam me over to that thing?" Red asked. "Time to let my squadron know I'm still alive…"

.  
12.11


	13. Ep 12x12: Daughters of Sin

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 12: The Daughters of Sin  
.

12.12  
The Daughters of Sin  
.

The girls' caretakers had ushered them into the large room in the lowest level of the castle. They had only been here once before - when they had first been brought to this place three years previously. Isethia had grown into a precocious pre-teen and had quickly become aware that she and her sister were prisoners, not just overprotected guests, even though this place belonged to their relatives. Ipitil was now a very protected seven-year-old. Both girls were unusually pale - their skin almost as white as their hair. Each girl had a dedicated young female companion who served as teacher, nursemaid, bodyguard and custodian. Jhessith was overly dedicated to Ipitil, but was allowed to continue in her role under the oversight of Shressa – who understood more precisely what was expected of her and her cousin.

No one had been expecting an attack on this castle – hidden, out of the way, with no strategic value. The attack had been precise, lightning fast and devastating. All electrical power was out throughout the castle, meaning no life support, no food replication, and most importantly, no protection – shield or phaser cannon. That did not mean the castle was entirely defenseless. The ice had strong magnetized strips, making beaming in or out impossible except for the castle's transporter room. And with the power knocked out, that room was equally useless. The attack had also been thorough – backup battery systems and generators had also been destroyed. Whoever had attacked, they obviously had superb intelligence.

Shressa had no idea how many people had been killed or injured, but she had no doubt there had been some people in those areas during the attack. She kept a close eye on Isethia. Shressa had always maintained an emotional distance between herself and her charge because she knew a day like this might come.

The walls in this part of the compound were too thick for the sound of fighting to make it in and radio signals were being jammed, so Shressa was entirely reliant on the guards outside the door for news. Nearly five hours after the initial attack, the door guard gave the all clear signal – a series of knocks. In addition to the girls there were three house guards in this room. One of the guards unlocked and opened the door – then dropped her phase pistol and crumpled to the floor. Two dark-skinned bajorans ducked and rolled into the room and came up firing, rendering the other two guards unconsious.

Shressa knew she was not going to survive this encounter, but she had one thing left to do and it would not go undone. She swept out her knife and raced toward Isethia. From the corner of her eye, she saw her cousin, Jhessith draw her knife as well. Perhaps she did understand her responsibility after all. Before she could reach Isethia, Shressa felt a dull pain in the back of her neck and an incredibly loud crunch. Her arms and legs would no longer do what she was telling them.

Shressa crumpled to the floor. She liked Isethia and had hoped the girl might be reunited with her father. Shressa had failed to kill her charge as was her responsibility, but she had given her last effort to that duty.

.

Jhessith, after throwing her knife at her cousin, fell to her knees, hands raised. A fire fight was going on out in the hallway. Four more intruders ducked into the room and closed and locked the door behind them. One was clearly cardassian, the other three were much harder to place. She guessed they were part cardassian, but the wrong color – more tan than gray. Ipitil ran into Jhessith's arms and hugged her, crying in terror.

The three strange-looking cardassians unslung large, cylindrical objects from their backs, each with a built-in tripod. The tall, very dark bajoran gently ushered Isethia toward Jhessith. Isethia was also terrified, but seemed to understand that this was a rescue. The three cylinders were set up in a triangle around Isethia, Jhessith and Ipitil. The six intruders joined them inside this triangle and at the touch of a switch, a glowing band of light connected the top of each of the cylinders to the other two, creating a glowing triangular ribbon of light.

In the next moment the room dissolved and Jhessith found herself being ushered off a crowded transporter pad in a crowded room, Isethia and Ipitil clinging to her. The two dark-skinned bajorans accompanied them into a lift, then from it, through a hallway and into an office where a bolian and another bajoran, both clad in black uniforms, awaited.

.  
12.12


	14. Ep 12x13: Sin Interred

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 13: Sin Interred  
.

12.13  
Sin Interred  
.

2nd Lt. T'Lon and Midshipman Sif beamed down to the coordinates Lynhart Shran had given them. A unit of eight Andorian Imperial Guard troops were waiting along with the old investigator in a warehouse in Reitel, a northern suburb of the Andorian capital. Three other andorians in civilian clothing were also present – their expressions ranging from annoyance to disgust. The room smelled like rotting flesh.

T'Lon closed her eyes for a moment to adjust to the stench. Next to her, Dr. Sif tried hard not to retch.

"It's not all that bad, young one," Shran said to Sif. "Just think back to your academy training. The victorious dead are warehoused here. Do not shame them." Shran looked pointedly at the civilians, each of whom was extremely well dressed.

"Just so that I do not overstep my boundaries, Investigator, am I to understand you are still on leave?" asked T'Lon.

"At the moment, it's Eliminator, First Class, Lieutenant. And I appreciate the question. For now, we should address each other as members of allied military forces. I am on temporary reactivated status with the Andorian Imperial Guard. And if my detective skills have not failed me, this warehouse contains what you have been looking for. But neither I, nor these guardsmen are authorized to look for it. I just ran across it by random chance while assessing my assigned targets. I suggest you set your tricorders to detect airborne decaying DNA fragments. You might want to begin your search with this stack behind me."

Midshipman Sif made some adjustments on her tricorder, then pointed her tricorder toward T'Lon's tricorder – synchronizing them. The vulcan and the trill set to analyzing a stack of boxes made from a substance that resembled wood. Almost immediately, Dr. Sif put her hand on one of the boxes and said, "This one."

Shran turned to the guard unit and said, "Coreguide, would you and your unit assist our Star Fleet friends and retrieve this box?"

One of the three civilians blurted, "What have you asked us here for?"

Shran turned his attention to the angry andorian. "I asked your house to send a witness. And I did not select you. Your house selected you. Now do the job your house sent you here to do."

"I am not afraid of you, assassin," the andorian retorted.

Another of the three civilians turned toward him and said, "You should be..."

.

During this discussion, the Guard unit had moved several boxes and pulled out the one Dr. Sif had pointed to. They pried the box open to reveal a dead andorian inside with no obvious wounds.

Dr. Sif ran her tricorder over the body. "Poison," she said. She pressed the sensor of the tricorder against the dead andorian's neck, then nodded at Shran.

"Witnesses please step forward and witness," Shran said.

One of the witnesses gasped. Another said, "That's him." The angry andorian only got angrier.

.

"Lieutenant T'Lon," said Shran, "May I present the heir of House th'Ravonet and the presumptive emperor, Sin th'Ravonet…"

T'Lon turned toward the angry andorian, who was the House th'Ravonet representative. "I am authorized to require this body for forensic examination. You, as the th'Ravonet representative, will accompany the body to our ship and remain with it throughout examination to verify chain of custody."

"You can make no such requirement of me."

"I do not need to. Your house makes that requirement of you. The witnesses from House Shav and House zh'Ithirith are welcome and invited to attend." T'Lon turned to the imperial guardsman Shran had earlier addressed. "Coreguide, can you come or detail some of your guardsmen to come as well? The Federation would prefer to have a few impartial witnesses."

The coreguide responded by counting off two of his soldiers. "Shyl, Osab with me. The rest of you with Eliminator Shran."

.  
12.13


	15. Ep 12x14: See No Sin

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 14: See No Sin  
.

12.14  
See No Sin  
.

After a thorough medical screening, which the two young girls endured largely with Jhessith's support and encouragement, they were ushered from the small surgery back into the medical office. A tall, snow white andorian was waiting for them.

.

"SIBOB!"

.

Isethia ran to the andorian and he caught her in his arms, lifting her easily. It was clear from his movements, particularly his head movement and his eyes that he was profoundly blind. His pupils and irises were only partly formed - his eyes remained motionless in their sockets. It was equally clear that this did not hinder him at all in recognizing the girls or understanding the space around him. "Isethia…"

The younger girl was clinging to Jhessith, an expression of mingled fear and wonder on her face. "Sibob?"

The andorian set the older girl down and settled to his haunches. "Ipitil…" The younger girl's expression changed to one of unvarnished joy. She detached herself from her caretaker and ran into the blind andorian's arms, buried her face in his chest.

.

After a moment, he stood again and turned toward Ensign Tolon. "I have you to thank for my daughters."

Lt. Tauk entered the room.

"I was there and it was my team, along with Investigator Buttans, who brought them out." Tolon clasped Buttans' shoulder. "But the rescue was authorized by Lieutenant Commander Mlady.

"Your daughters are in good health," said Dr. Jazz. "They have not spent enough time out of doors and their blood shows a slight lack of some important enzymes. But with a normal, heathy schedule of outdoor activities, that should easily be corrected."

Lt. Cmdr. Mlady entered the room. The blind andorian turned to greet her.

"I am told I have you to thank for rescuing my daughters. Many andorian children need rescue. But you chose to rescue mine."

Mlady gave the blind man a long, evaluating look before she responded. "We have started the process. But it is up to Andoria to look after his own children. In my opinion, and that of others whom I respect, that means rescuing those other children is your responsibility."

"And you have cleared the path for me." He turned toward Jhessith. "You are a member of my family. You always have been. And I can tell you paid an awful price to protect my daughters. What is your name, child?"

"I am Jhessith."

"Jhessith, there is no safer place than this place for now. I have a job even more terrible than yours. I must pit my family against my family. Far too many of them have forgotten what it means to be andorian and that lesson will inevitably be taught in blood. Will you look after my daughters here until I return for them?"

Jhessith was visibly relieved and overcome with emotion – almost unable to speak. "Always.." she managed.

"Then you will be as a daughter to me." He turned his blind eyes toward Mlady. "Lieutenant Commander, I must visit my family members who are imprisoned aboard the U.S.S. Vox. I must see who among them remember what remembers the meaning of loyalty and honor. Will you please introduce me to her captain?"

.  
12.14


	16. Ep 12x15: The Study of Sin

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 15: The Study of Sin  
.

12.15  
The Study of Sin  
.

Dr. Sif and Dr. Napoleon Boles set about conducting an autopsy in the large surgery with an audience - the representatives from the three royal houses and the three imperial guardsmen attended, watching closely on the forensic monitors. Before they were finished, the blind andorian joined them, along with Lt. Tauk, 2nd Lt. T'Lon and Lt. Cmdr. Mlady.

.

"Please forgive us for walking you through the evidence step by step," said Dr. Sif in her light, girlish voice. "We want to make the case thoroughly. First, there is no doubt that the Dauphin, Sin th'Ravonet, was poisoned. However we also have evidence that he was held prisoner in the infamous Ice Hole, owned by House Shav."

"Your lies will not be…" started the House Shav representative, starting to draw his knife only to find the blind andorian's hand grasping his wrist.

"We are guests in this place," he said. There was a forcefulness in his precise enunciation - an echoing sound to his voice even when speaking quietly. "A royal representative interrupting a Star Fleet scientist and accusing her of lies is an unacceptable breach of protocol. I must be able to assure all of the houses that their representatives behave appropriately. Do you not agree?"

The House Shav representative looked at the blind andorian with a mixture of awe and terror. His antennae seemed to droop in deference. "Yes, Dauphin. Please forgive me."

Lt. Tauk slowly removed his hand from the hand phaser at his belt.

"Please continue, Dr. Sif," the blind andorian said. "There will be no further interruptions."

.

Sif seemed considerably shaken. "At this time, I would like to turn the presentation over to Dr. Boles."

Napoleon Boles put his hand on Sif's shoulder, squeezed gently, then turned to the andorians. His skin was much darker blue than theirs.

"We sent a team to the Ice Hole. It had been recently shut down and has now been destroyed. But one of our team members had the presence of mind to collect samples of the aglimoss growing in the hole. As you know, andorians digest aglimoss slowly and it leaves a residue in the upper liver that gradually becomes toxic unless they are also consuming oroins, which counteract the aglimoss toxins. Aglimoss produces unique toxins depending on where it is grown and the toxins from the samples we collected in the Ice Hole are identical to those found in the Dauphin's upper liver.  
"However, we also found partially digested oroins in his stomach. These were not the varieties commonly found growing in the polar regions, but were imported from offworld - the colony of Avradega, which is largely under the control of House th'Ravonet. This seems to indicate that the Dauphin had somehow recently been recovered by House th'Ravonet."  
"Finally, the poison that killed the Dauphin was pardo - a poison commonly used by House zh'Ithirith. However, the dosage and the ingredients are not consistent with plants commonly available to House zh'Ithirith. This pardo was made with race seed instead of srakin seed. Race seed is grown only on Corvin Island, which is th'Ravonet territory. And race seed is not as effective an ingredient, requiring a much larger dosage - which would be consistent with the amount of pardo we found in the Dauphin's blood stream."

.

The blind andorian turned his antennae toward Dr. Boles. "What are your conclusions?"

"You just heard them'" Boles responded flatly. "However, we can surmise, based on this evidence, that the Dauphin was clearly the prisoner of House Shav until no more than 15 days ago, at which time it appears he returned to his territory, only to be poisoned no less than 11 days ago by a poison made from materials local to th'Ravonet territory."

.  
12.15


	17. Ep 12x16: Succession Wout Representation

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 16: Succession Without Representation  
.

12.16  
Succession Without Representation  
.

Justice Minerva Irons stepped into the courtroom in Laikan. Commander David Pepper followed her, carrying an office chair. All the andorians in the courtroom were immediately outraged and a bedlam of complaints arose in which no particular voice could clearly be understood. "You cannot bring…" "…tradition and condition of…" "…mockery of this mediation…" "…do you think gives you the right…" "…insult to the empire…"

Irons stopped in the middle of the room. Pep planted the chair in a corner. This action alone caused the babble of complaints to die down, replaced with curiosity. Irons cleared her throat. That sound alone could be interpreted as a break in her silence, which would require mediation to begin within two hours. The courtroom became silent - everyone holding their breath as it became apparent that after 17 days of silence, Justice Irons was about to speak. Even the forest of antennae stood still. In more than two weeks of silence, this room had never been so silent.

.

Irons lifted her voice - deep, loud, cracking with disuse and age but still rich and powerful - almost deafening. She pointed at one group of Andorian representatives: "You no longer represent House Shav." She turned to the three judges, pointed at one of them. "And neither do you. You must leave this place. Until House Shav is properly represented, this mediation is suspended."

Irons walked over to the chair in the corner and sat down.

.

"You cannot eject a family judge!" exclaimed the challenged judge.

Without moving from the chair, Irons said, "David, please eject the pretenders from this room."

"I challenge this court's ruling!" said one of the House Shav representatives.

Irons laid her head back, then looked at the andorian. "You have no standing to issue a challenge. David, remove them."  
Members of the House Shav delegation stepped out from the area of the room they had been waiting in and swept out their Ushaan-Tor ice cutting blades. These blades, like those carried by many wealthy andorians, were customized for combat instead of ice-cutting. The House Shav judge also stepped out and drew his blade. He took a position behind the others.

"With prejudice," Irons added.

The remainder of the andorians cleared the floor, moving to the edges of the room. Dr. Tali Shae took up a position next to her captain.

.

Pep crouched as five armed andorians grouped to charge him. He also had an Ushaan-Tor at his belt, but did not bother with it as the blade would have been ridiculously small in his hand. As the group of andorians charged toward him, Pep ran toward them and broke to their left, causing the two farthest from him to turn sharply to their left, interfering with each other and the andorians next to them. The giant grasped the left arm of the leftmost andorian, carrying her away from the group, stopped abruptly and hurled her into the House Shav judge, who remained with his Ushaan-Tor drawn but had not joined the group of representatives in their attack.

Pep started running again, running away from the four remaining andorians, who had regained their balance. He turned sharply to his right, running straight toward the two wounded on the floor. The judge and the woman whose left arm Pep had broken scrambled in terror to get out of the way. Pep leapt easily over them - the four chasing him stumbled over them.

The two on the right side of the line looked up in terror - each seeing a giant hand suddenly gripping their heads, crushing their antennae. Pep lifted these men by their heads and hurled them into the other two standing andorians, knocking one of them down. The other scrambled out of the way, only to find the giant had closed the distance between them with a leap. With a left jab, Pep sent this man flying. The remaining andorian had only managed to stand up and was still off balance when Pep's right fist connected with the side of his head, sending him crashing, unconscious, to the floor.

The entire horrifyingly violent spectacle had taken less than two minutes and left all six andorians alive, but completely incapacitated. Pep was bleeding from a couple of shallow cuts he had received during the fight.

.

Minerva Irons stood up. "A new delegation and a new judge from House Shav will arrive tomorrow. We will reconvene then."

.

Imperial Guard medical personnel were summoned into the room to retrieve the former House Shav representatives.

.  
12.16


	18. Ep 12x17: Messages of Sin

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 17: Messages of Sin  
.

12.17  
Messages of Sin  
.

The blind andorian appeared on viewscreens throughout the Andorian Imperial Guard fleet and all watch stations. The fact that the military had agreed to broadcast him and make his broadcast required watching meant that all of the royal houses were watching as well. As were all of the Star Fleet crews in orbit.

.

"I am Sin Shav, true heir to House Shav.  
"To Ishav Shav, I say this: Your line and your claim to House Shav is illegitimate. In 871, Ishta Shav murdered her father and her older brother to claim House Shav for herself and her descendants. But her brother had a child - Siev. I am the descendant of and heir to Siev Shav and I now claim what is rightfully mine.  
"Furthermore, by making allegiance with those who deny the Empire's rightful place of leadership within the Federation - those who use the title Andoria First, but care only for themselves first - you have continued the dishonor that Ishta Shav brought to my house. My house, that has not led the empire in nearly 400 years. And you and your illegitimate line and their allegiance to Andoria First are the reason why.

"House Shav will no longer follow you. Freely and openly renounce your claim and I will protect you and your family as members of my house in good standing. Refuse and you will be hunted to the ends of the galaxy. There will be no place you can hide from me.

.

"To Baronnetta th'Ravonet, I say this: Your father, Sin th'Ravonet, has been found. He was murdered and his body interred in a facility for th'Ravonet honored dead. Because your father died under suspicious circumstances, I encourage you to withdraw your House's claim to lead the empire and your own claim to lead your house until his murder is solved.

"To Zorah zh'Ithirith, I request your support as heir to House zh'Ithirith, to my claim to House Shav and to lead the empire. The majority of House Shav forces support my claim. The Andorian Imperial Guard supports my claim. The time for House Shav to lead the empire and to give our strength to the Federation has come again. Your mother brought great honor to your House as a wise Empress. While your claim is legitimate, my claim is strengthened by a broader base of alliances and seasoned by wisdom that Andoria needs in these times.

"You can see that I am Aenar. I am blind, yet I see. I see into your hearts. It is time for an Emperor who cannot be lied to. And it is time for an Imperial Chancellor from House zh'Ithirith. And an Imperial Minister from House th'Ravonet. I offer a unified imperial government for the first time in more than 600 years.

"To those who cleve to Andoria First and similar separatist movements, I say this: You are outlaw and you will be hunted to the ends of the galaxy and treated with no remorse. Surrender now to the Imperial Guard, renounce your allegiance to outlaw organizations and swear your loyalty to me and to Andoria and your record will be reviewed. If you are guilty of no worse than affiliation with a separatist movement, I offer you this one chance to put your rebellion behind you, clear your name and take your place as a loyal citizen of the empire. Do not mistake my largesse for lenience. I will not tolerate disloyalty to the Andorian Empire or to the United Federation of Planets.

"And for our allies, the other members of the Federation who have proved their loyalty to the empire time and again, from Johnathan Archer to Minerva Irons, I say this: The Andorian Empire stands sovereign within the United Federation of Planets. And the Empire stands united with the Federation as an ally and as a founding member. As Emperor, I pledge to strengthen those bonds.

"Finally, to my loyal andorians I say this: The proponents of Andoria First say they want to take Andoria back to a golden age. A golden age that never existed. These are the best days of the Andorian Empire and, if you give me your support, far better days are ahead, for all loyal Andorians. What say you, Andoria?"

.

The camera panned suddenly wide to reveal that the Dauphin Sin Shav was speaking in the great public square in Laikan. More than a hundred thousand mingled civilians and Imperial Guard soldiers were crowded into the square. Their antennae were moving in unison. A shout went up - "Emperor Sin! Emperor Sin! Emperor Sin!" accompanied by the percussion of a hundred thousand andorians striking their chests with both fists twice in unison after each cry.

.  
12.17


	19. Ep 12x18: After Action Review

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 18: After Action Review  
.

12.18  
After Action Review  
.

"We're going to keep this short." Justice Minerva Irons looked exhausted. She leaned back in her chair at the head of the table in the executive conference room. "Tali."

Dr. Tali Shae was seated next to Irons. "Dr. Sif did a thorough job with her autopsy of the Dauphin, Sin th'Ravonet. However, she tells me that it was Dr. Boles who researched thousands of andorian autopsies, particularly in missing persons cases and it was his research that identified not only how to track an andorian's location by their consumption of aglimoss and oroins, but it was also what made him suspicious when they identified the amount of pardo in the Dauphin's bloodstream. I know Dr. Boles occasionally rubs people the wrong way, but his contributions were vital to this effort. And Dr. Sif has become one of his small circle of fans."

"Thank you, Tali," said Irons. "Lt. Tauk."

Tauk took a deep breath, coughed, then took another breath. "Ensign Tolon and his team, along with Investigator Buttans got all the excitement and performed exceptionally well. Tolon has completely won the loyalty of his team. He leads well from behind and from in front and knows when each is appropriate. He was the one who had the presence of mind to collect samples of the aglimoss during the first rescue attempt in the Ice Hole. But we would have been nowhere without the intelligence provided by Investigator Shran and Lieutenant T'Lon's processing of this information. She designed the attack plan to rescue the Dauphin Sin Shav's daughters."

"Has Shran returned from leave?" Irons asked.

"He has," Tauk replied. "He isn't telling us what he did during the time he was reactivated by the Imperial Guard and I am not asking."

"Continue that policy," Irons said. "Kenneth."

"Chief Guth, and flight specialists Chin and Salazaar conducted a flawless first strike in Bespatel," Lt. Dolphin said. "Chin and Salazaar had to wait for more than 20 hours in their interceptors in Rings' eastern LaGrange point. Hiding in a LaGrange point requires constant adjustment to keep from drifting into the debris. Guth did a superb job gathering information at Bespatel and taking down the house shields. He also did some fine flying down into the Ice Hole. And T'Lon and I had a bit of excitement up here."  
"So I heard," Irons intoned. "We will talk about that momentarily. Sarekson?"

Dr. Carrera cleared his throat. "Midshipman Brazil worked well in the field, especially in rescuing the ground ops team out of the Ice Hole. She has done some fine tuning to the pattern enhancers that helped overcome some local conditions that would otherwise have made use of the transporters impossible. Dr. Sun worked with Lt. Gamor up here to feed erroneous information to House Shav's surveillance satellites, which kept our ground operations concealed from them. The Hunter, the wagon, the tactical unit and both interceptors are in good condition and ready for next action."

.

Irons turned toward her 2nd officer: "Lieutenant Commander, you met directly with the new emperor. Impressions?"  
Mlady sat up. "He is strongly telepathic and projects a presence around him that everyone can feel. A lion. The other andorians were terrified of him. And fascinated by him. It appears word that he was making a power play got leaked to the House Shav fighter pilots, which could be one reason they were so unwilling to open fire on us."

"That was a barn burner of a speech," said Irons.

"I really don't know much about him," said Tali, "but considering the alternatives… Zorah zh'Itherith is sickly and unlikely to live more than a year. Baronetta th'Ravonette is under suspicion now for her father's murder, which left Ishav Shav, who is in league with the Andoria First separatists…"

"And now, apparently, on the run with them," Irons concluded. "Well, all things considered, I believe this qualifies as a successful mission. Thank you all. You are dismissed. Kenneth, David, Mlady, please stay."

.  
12.18


	20. Ep 12x19: Annual Performance Review

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 12: Prisoner in the Ice Castle  
Scene 19: Annual Performance Evaluation  
.

12.19  
Annual Performance Evaluation  
.

Justice Minerva Irons laid her head back and closed her eyes until the room had cleared. Without opening her eyes, she placed a small box on the table, pushed it with her fingertips to Commander David Pepper, who, in turn, placed a massive finger on it and slid it across the table to Lt. Commander Mlady.

"Lieutenant Dolphin," Mlady said, "we have completed your annual review. Because of the severe implications of your behavior over the past year, I am deferring to our Executive Officer."

"Admirals have gotten involved in this action, Kenny," said Pep. "And not just any admirals, the Chief of Star Fleet Operations and the Star Fleet Chief of Staff. Given that, I am deferring to Captain Irons."

Irons opened her eyes, looking even more weary. "Kenneth, given your behavior over the past year, Admiral El Fadil and Fleet Admiral Stewart have both made it clear that an adjustment in rank is not only in order, but required. I am not going to change the structure of this boat - you will continue in your role as director of flight operations. You will still answer to Lieutenant Commander Mlady and Second Lieutenant Gamor will still answer to you. I don't like placing an officer under the general supervision of an officer of the same rank, but given the circumstances, it cannot be avoided."

"To review: Within the first hour you joined this crew, you gave a direct order to a fellow first lieutenant, Lieutenant Allen Mitchell. He filed a grievance against you, and that grievance made it to Chief of Staff El Fadil. In the Battle for Pillo you brought the tactical unit out of warp manually directly between two battle cruisers that were less than 100 meters apart. I had the Daystrom Institute run the numbers and they told me that maneuver is statically impossible and you should never have attempted it."

"In your assignment to Subspace Radio Ivonovic, you disobeyed my orders to only give an interview, went rogue, behaved like a covert agent and in the process of providing shelter from the tribunal for a wanted suspect, you lied to Fleet Admiral Stewart and used my personal influence in ways that I am still recovering from. And then there are your actions over the past few days."

"During a firefight over Andoria, after playing chicken with an andorian cruiser and nearly squashing yourself and two other officers like a bug on their hull, you personally took command of the battlefield in the presence of four Star Fleet captains and eleven other superior officers. Captain Chekov, who is in command of this mission, was particularly incensed at your use of your own name - especially when you personally commandeered 40 andorian interceptors and threatened to cut off the squadron commander's antennae? And there's a rumor floating around that you horse-whipped a superior officer?"

Dolphin turned bright red.

"I cannot have a first lieutenant under my command doing these kinds of things, Kenneth," Irons said.

Lt. Cmdr. Mlady opened the box, removed a rank pip - platinum with a black center. She walked around the table to Lt. Dolphin. He felt her tugging at his collar. She stepped back.

"Some of the Star Fleet captains are starting to call you a 'Kirk'. That isn't a compliment when coming from superior officers." Irons sighed, took a breath. "But Admiral El Fadil and Fleet Admiral Stewart - who still doesn't like you by the way - agreed with me that having a Lieutenant Dolphin with your reputation is not optimal for my strategic needs… Lieutenant Commander…"

.

Dolphin's hand shot to his collar, counted three pips. He could feel the third pip was the new one with a black dot in the center.

.

Pep exploded with laughter. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a straight face around here?"

Irons started laughing as well. "You scared a top of the line andorian battle cruiser out of the sky of its own homemoon…" she couldn't continue for laughing.

"I just wish I could see Captain Chekov's face when he learns you promoted him…" Mlady said.

"Tell me how to run my ship," Irons retorted, a little acerbically. "I was a starship captain 20 years before he was born. I bounced him on my knee… And he was a wet little crybaby…"

Pep, barely managing to speak while laughing: "I can't believe you horse-whipped Commander Red…"

Dolphin, still bright red, managed, "It was just one pop… It was Mlady's idea…"

Pep held on to the table to keep from falling out of his chair laughing.

.

12 - Prisoner in the Ice Castle


End file.
